Grainy fertilizer, seed or other bulk materials are delivered in boxes or bags. The user then needs to dispense the bulk material by hand or with simple tools such as a shovel on the ground to be covered. This leads to the problem that an even application can hardly be achieved. Furthermore, the dispensing of chemicals in the aforementioned manner also entails a certain likelihood of injury when said chemicals contain caustic or poisonous substances. Further problems arise from the difficulty of storing open boxes or bags in a secure and safe way and of protecting them from humidity for example.
In addition to larger motor-driven apparatuses, there are also hand-operated scattering devices, by means of which the scattering of bulk materials or chemicals is enabled. The German utility model G 93 20 160.5 proposes a scattering device for dispensing de-icing salt and the like onto ground areas, which device is characterized by the attachment of a handle to a conventional bottle. In accordance with the idea of this utility model, the user can convey scattering material from the bottle by holding it by its handle and ejecting said material with rapid movements all around. The advantage of this grip lug is that the user will not come into contact with the bulk material. However, even scattering can be achieved with said device only with difficulty.
The US publication U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,119 contains a further proposal for a solution. It discloses a device for scattering grainy substances, which device comprises a container and a delivery tube, which is connected thereto, and a distributor arranged at the end of the delivery tube. The distributor comprises a substantially flat plate, which is provided on the upper side with pins, which are arranged perpendicularly to the plate and distributed over the area of the plate. Granular material can be distributed with the device without coming into contact with the material. The disadvantage of the device is that the user needs to pivot the container and the granular material contained therein back and forth during scattering, which is relatively laborious and strenuous. Furthermore, it is difficult with this apparatus to evenly distribute the granular material.
The publication WO-A-2008-043191 discloses a portable scattering apparatus for storing and scattering granular material. It contains a container and a distributor for scattering the granular material. A tubular connection and a flow controller are arranged between the container and the distributor. One respective tubular section is arranged on the outlet openings of the distributor in such a way that the individual tubular sections are arranged to extend in a diverging manner away from the outlet opening. The disadvantage of this apparatus is the container on the one hand, which is difficult to refill and is unwieldy in handling. On the other hand, blockages may occur in the region of the flow control and in the flexible tubular section of the described scattering apparatus depending on the grain size of the scattering material. This means that this apparatus, depending on the configuration of the flow controller, can only be optimally used for specific grain sizes.